How do infections spread?

Infections spread when germs move from one person to another, just like a game of tag.

Imagine you're playing tag at the park. If someone who's "it" touches you, you become "it" too. Germs work kind of like that. When a sick person coughs or sneezes, they send out tiny germs into the air, like invisible pieces of confetti. If another person inhales those germs, they might get sick too.

• Germs can ride on hands: If you touch something that has germs on it, like a doorknob or a toy, and then touch your nose or mouth, the germs can go inside your body.
• Germs can jump from person to person: When someone with a cold sneezes near you, those germs fly through the air and might land in your nose or mouth.

Sometimes, germs even live on surfaces for a while, like how a crayon stays on a table after you draw. So if another kid touches that same crayon later, they might catch the same infection!

It's all about sharing, not just toys, but also germs!